Sisters on the Sky :) - May 4-8 review

[turtlegirl2]

My sister and I just returned from the May 4 - 8 cruise on the Sky. This was our 2nd cruise on the Sky (we did the 3-night back in Dec. 2010). This was a sister get-away (from work, kids, reality - grin) and it was great! We flew into Miami on Sunday evening and stayed at Embassy Suites by the airport. The free shuttle was pretty easy to figure out and we started our getaway at the bar that evening :). In the morning, we paid $12/each for a shuttle to the NCL Sky pier - very easy and painless. We arrived at about noon and did not have a very long wait before we were checking our carry-on bags at Captain Cook's bar.

 

Embassy Suites provided a hot breakfast so we did not have to make a mad rush to find food, which was nice. Instead we started using our Unlimited Beverage Package (included in our OV room as a bonus) and enjoyed a few drinks on the pool deck and enjoyed the welcome aboard music.

 

When the rooms were ready, we headed to Captain Cook's and retrieved our bags with no problems and went to check out our room - 7202. Our beds were made into a King so I dialed the operator to request they be made into twins and before long our very sweet cabin steward showed up to meet me, apologize (although there was no need to do that) and he assured me it would be taken care of right away. He was the most friendly and gracious steward I think I've ever met on a cruise!!

 

Concerning our room on Deck 7 Forward - I had a moment of concern when I saw the sign to the Kids Club just a few yards away - but we never heard much noise from kids or families headed there - maybe because of the week and most kids still in school.

 

The convenience of Deck 7 was awesome!! We stayed on Deck 8 last time and it's amazing the difference one floor can make! We had easy access to anywhere we wanted to go; soon discovered the best elevators to take and made friends with many of the bartenders on our Deck ;). Especially in the casino and at the coffee bar. Here I will give a shout out to Sam in the casino bar who put up with 'The Sisters' and also the very 'Happy Happy' Reggie (who retires in August after 20 years with NCL - CONGRATS REGGIE!!!!); the highly entertaining Burton (his life is kind of like a soap opera - such love triangles!!!) & the sweet Mel who was a joy to talk with!!!

 

We ate dinner each night at Crossings dining room (5 Aft) and each meal was wonderful! Not just 'we aren't home cooking and cleaning for our families good' - but really very well prepared and presented!! We ate about 6:30 each night and never had a wait and usually got a table right by the water so we could watch the beautiful water as we dined.

 

We really had no plans for this cruise except to enjoy and relax and that is exactly what we did!! No early morning wake up calls; lunch for our first meal if we slept in or breakfast if we woke up early. Early morning coffee and danish room service was at no charge - but we never used it. Just woke, got ready and went to wherever we wanted for our meal. Room service is nice, but the trays and cups, and food, etc. can really take up space in the cabin.

 

So, what did we do? Stayed on the ship in Freeport - it rained all day but Freeport is an island that I can stay on the ship for - been 3 times. I loved Junkanoo Beach Club a few years ago on a Carnival stop but this time we just relaxed and enjoyed our UBP :). We slept in (the water was a little rocky the night before and we slept like babies) so we had lunch at Crossings. Very nice. We wandered, had drinks on the pool deck and entered the Slot tourney that night. No luck but it was fun. Then dinner at Crossings and off for some serious fun at the Piano Bar with Barry!!! We did some dancing at Dazzles and then finally found our room about 2am!

 

Private Island Day - we decided on breakfast for this day and went to the Italian restaurant where they served omelettes & waffles (also sausage, bacon, potatoes, etc) - with no buffet crowds!! Very nice! On our first NCL Sky cruise we missed Great Stirrup Cay due to rough seas - but today was perfect! We never had to get a number to get on the tenders, we just made our way down to 3 Forward at about 11am and stood in a line that wasn't too long and got onto a tender. GSC was beautiful and that was the only time I ever 'saw' the 2,000 people on ship with us. But still the crowds were not bad, the bars were a little slower but not horrible, and the BBQ was decent. The best part of GSC was the Lagoon area. We walked to it and spent a few hours just floating in the lovely water (and getting a nice sunburn in the process - at least me). We did have sunscreen - just not enough and/or not applied enough. Oh well - someday I will learn. A shuttle picked us up and took us back to the tender area. I believe we were on the last (or next to last) tender. It was a little rough in the water now and getting off the tender was a bit tricky. But Sky crew was there to help! No Worries!

 

That night we ate at Crossings (again), enjoyed some smooth Latin tunes near the bar on Deck 7 outside the casino (name escapes me now), went to see the comedian - very funny (and this was the family show) and then I went to the gift shop for Aloe Vera and back to the room while my sister went to the White Hot Party and danced for a few hours and said it was a lot of fun.

 

Nassau day - we had booked an excursion to the Blue Lagoon but due to my sunburn, we cancelled the night before and NCL credited the cost to our bill. Very nice of them. We have both been to Nassau several times so we enjoyed our last day on the ship and slept in, went to the outdoor Garden Cafe for breakfast (ok, so one buffet meal), and just relaxed, enjoyed the beautiful weather and even watched a movie - Unbroken - very good. We were resting up for a fun evening - and we sure had one!!

 

We had our now usual dinner at Crossings with a beautiful view of the smooth seas. We chatted with nice people sitting next to us and enjoyed our last dining experience at this restaurant. Before dinner we entered the last Slot Tourney and my sister made it into the finals! But, she came in 4th place so no big win there. We did get a nice bottle of wine that we took to dinner and enjoyed.

 

Later, we tried to see the Adult Comedy show in Dazzles (why they held it there and not the Stardust puzzles me) but it was literally standing room only- so we shuffled through the crowds and went back to see Barry at the Piano Bar. Good choice!! We sat right in front of the Piano and had a great time. A group of us went to eat with him after his show at Longboards, where we saw more of the friends we made over the past few days :)

 

After late-late dinner/snacks, we headed back to the casino to see if we had ANY luck. Nope - just the luck of the UBP ;). I closed down the Blackjack table and finally went to bed at 3am!!!! The 6:30am alarm was NOT my friend!!

 

We got up, finished packing and walked off the ship at 8am. Again, no lines, no problems. We found a cab and entertained the driver with our stories on the ride to Miami airport. Checked in, found our gate, grabbed a bagel and COFFEE and headed home at 10:59am!!!

 

It was a wonderful and much needed sister getaway!! We had fun talking to crew members and other travelers!! Some of our cruise friends were: Linda & Louis from Boston; Mark and Tara from the casino & then we saw them everywhere; Big Red and her hubby Spider Man, and Allen from England (from the Piano Bar). And many others who put up with The Sisters!!! ;)

 

We had a great time and thank NCL & our friend Juan from NCL for helping make this a wonderful sister get-away!!! :-)

[jethrojam]

Sounds like a good time thanks for review:)

[mking8288]

Nice review and thank you for writing & sharing. GSC is nice these days & we're at the Lagoon on the west end at 9:30 AM, virtually empty since we're FOB with priority. That's what a vacation is all about.

-

Just curious, did you noticed any piles of uneaten food, dirty plates & cups in the hallway, unattended & not picked up for hours or overnight ?

[turtlegirl2]

We saw some wine glasses/plates outside doors near our rooms but they were always gone by the next time we returned - and we made several trips back and forth to our room each day. I really enjoyed the location of our room on Deck 7 because there were not many rooms - maybe that made the difference? We were also very fortunate to enjoy some VIP perks thanks to our friend and had lovely snacks waiting in our room each day. We could have done the VIP tender but I am thankful we waited!! The day was gorgeous but I did not need a full day of the sun ;). Hope you enjoyed the cruise!!

[stormynow]

Thanks for the review. Doing the Sky 3 day in 2 weeks. Booked IS Gty and assigned 7111. Good to hear u liked location. We usually have nite caps at the Atrium Bar on 7. Had a great BT named Rob and asst blond European gal we called Miley (Cyrus). This about a year ago. Do u recall either being there? Thanks Stormy

[turtlegirl2]

Not sure I saw either of those bartenders. The staff we talked to said they usually have 8 month contracts (then about 7 weeks off). Sometimes they come back to the same ship & sometimes they are on others. Have a great cruise!!

[motleyfan]

My sister and I just returned from the May 4 - 8 cruise on the Sky. This was our 2nd cruise on the Sky (we did the 3-night back in Dec. 2010). This was a sister get-away (from work, kids, reality - grin) and it was great! We flew into Miami on Sunday evening and stayed at Embassy Suites by the airport. The free shuttle was pretty easy to figure out and we started our getaway at the bar that evening :). In the morning, we paid $12/each for a shuttle to the NCL Sky pier - very easy and painless. We arrived at about noon and did not have a very long wait before we were checking our carry-on bags at Captain Cook's bar.

 

Embassy Suites provided a hot breakfast so we did not have to make a mad rush to find food, which was nice. Instead we started using our Unlimited Beverage Package (included in our OV room as a bonus) and enjoyed a few drinks on the pool deck and enjoyed the welcome aboard music.

 

When the rooms were ready, we headed to Captain Cook's and retrieved our bags with no problems and went to check out our room - 7202. Our beds were made into a King so I dialed the operator to request they be made into twins and before long our very sweet cabin steward showed up to meet me, apologize (although there was no need to do that) and he assured me it would be taken care of right away. He was the most friendly and gracious steward I think I've ever met on a cruise!!

 

Concerning our room on Deck 7 Forward - I had a moment of concern when I saw the sign to the Kids Club just a few yards away - but we never heard much noise from kids or families headed there - maybe because of the week and most kids still in school.

 

The convenience of Deck 7 was awesome!! We stayed on Deck 8 last time and it's amazing the difference one floor can make! We had easy access to anywhere we wanted to go; soon discovered the best elevators to take and made friends with many of the bartenders on our Deck ;). Especially in the casino and at the coffee bar. Here I will give a shout out to Sam in the casino bar who put up with 'The Sisters' and also the very 'Happy Happy' Reggie (who retires in August after 20 years with NCL - CONGRATS REGGIE!!!!); the highly entertaining Burton (his life is kind of like a soap opera - such love triangles!!!) & the sweet Mel who was a joy to talk with!!!

 

We ate dinner each night at Crossings dining room (5 Aft) and each meal was wonderful! Not just 'we aren't home cooking and cleaning for our families good' - but really very well prepared and presented!! We ate about 6:30 each night and never had a wait and usually got a table right by the water so we could watch the beautiful water as we dined.

 

We really had no plans for this cruise except to enjoy and relax and that is exactly what we did!! No early morning wake up calls; lunch for our first meal if we slept in or breakfast if we woke up early. Early morning coffee and danish room service was at no charge - but we never used it. Just woke, got ready and went to wherever we wanted for our meal. Room service is nice, but the trays and cups, and food, etc. can really take up space in the cabin.

 

So, what did we do? Stayed on the ship in Freeport - it rained all day but Freeport is an island that I can stay on the ship for - been 3 times. I loved Junkanoo Beach Club a few years ago on a Carnival stop but this time we just relaxed and enjoyed our UBP :). We slept in (the water was a little rocky the night before and we slept like babies) so we had lunch at Crossings. Very nice. We wandered, had drinks on the pool deck and entered the Slot tourney that night. No luck but it was fun. Then dinner at Crossings and off for some serious fun at the Piano Bar with Barry!!! We did some dancing at Dazzles and then finally found our room about 2am!

 

Private Island Day - we decided on breakfast for this day and went to the Italian restaurant where they served omelettes & waffles (also sausage, bacon, potatoes, etc) - with no buffet crowds!! Very nice! On our first NCL Sky cruise we missed Great Stirrup Cay due to rough seas - but today was perfect! We never had to get a number to get on the tenders, we just made our way down to 3 Forward at about 11am and stood in a line that wasn't too long and got onto a tender. GSC was beautiful and that was the only time I ever 'saw' the 2,000 people on ship with us. But still the crowds were not bad, the bars were a little slower but not horrible, and the BBQ was decent. The best part of GSC was the Lagoon area. We walked to it and spent a few hours just floating in the lovely water (and getting a nice sunburn in the process - at least me). We did have sunscreen - just not enough and/or not applied enough. Oh well - someday I will learn. A shuttle picked us up and took us back to the tender area. I believe we were on the last (or next to last) tender. It was a little rough in the water now and getting off the tender was a bit tricky. But Sky crew was there to help! No Worries!

 

That night we ate at Crossings (again), enjoyed some smooth Latin tunes near the bar on Deck 7 outside the casino (name escapes me now), went to see the comedian - very funny (and this was the family show) and then I went to the gift shop for Aloe Vera and back to the room while my sister went to the White Hot Party and danced for a few hours and said it was a lot of fun.

 

Nassau day - we had booked an excursion to the Blue Lagoon but due to my sunburn, we cancelled the night before and NCL credited the cost to our bill. Very nice of them. We have both been to Nassau several times so we enjoyed our last day on the ship and slept in, went to the outdoor Garden Cafe for breakfast (ok, so one buffet meal), and just relaxed, enjoyed the beautiful weather and even watched a movie - Unbroken - very good. We were resting up for a fun evening - and we sure had one!!

 

We had our now usual dinner at Crossings with a beautiful view of the smooth seas. We chatted with nice people sitting next to us and enjoyed our last dining experience at this restaurant. Before dinner we entered the last Slot Tourney and my sister made it into the finals! But, she came in 4th place so no big win there. We did get a nice bottle of wine that we took to dinner and enjoyed.

 

Later, we tried to see the Adult Comedy show in Dazzles (why they held it there and not the Stardust puzzles me) but it was literally standing room only- so we shuffled through the crowds and went back to see Barry at the Piano Bar. Good choice!! We sat right in front of the Piano and had a great time. A group of us went to eat with him after his show at Longboards, where we saw more of the friends we made over the past few days :)

 

After late-late dinner/snacks, we headed back to the casino to see if we had ANY luck. Nope - just the luck of the UBP ;). I closed down the Blackjack table and finally went to bed at 3am!!!! The 6:30am alarm was NOT my friend!!

 

We got up, finished packing and walked off the ship at 8am. Again, no lines, no problems. We found a cab and entertained the driver with our stories on the ride to Miami airport. Checked in, found our gate, grabbed a bagel and COFFEE and headed home at 10:59am!!!

 

It was a wonderful and much needed sister getaway!! We had fun talking to crew members and other travelers!! Some of our cruise friends were: Linda & Louis from Boston; Mark and Tara from the casino & then we saw them everywhere; Big Red and her hubby Spider Man, and Allen from England (from the Piano Bar). And many others who put up with The Sisters!!! ;)

 

We had a great time and thank NCL & our friend Juan from NCL for helping make this a wonderful sister get-away!!! :-)

 

Sounds like you guys had a really awesome trip. So glad you had fun, its cool to read positive posts like this every now and then lol.

[david_sobe]

Wonderful

So glad you made it to GSC

[turtlegirl2]

We had an awesome time!!! I honestly don't understand complainers - we weren't working, fixing our meals and cleaning up, had someone clean our room 2x/day, had great entertainment - that is not everyday life (at least for me)!! :-) I can't wait for the next one!!

[turtlegirl2]

Thanks, David! We were disappointed to miss it last time - so this time was extra special!! Now, if I could just make it to Gramd Caymen! Two cruises there and both times too rough to tender... ;)

[Jay Sam]

thanks for the great review. We took the same cruise on th 27th of April and had a great time.

 

We missed Great Stirrup Cay due to weather, but hopefully next time will get to go there.

 

This was the best cruise I have experienced on NCL. The staff was amazing and I loved the ship.

 

Il Adagio like you mentioned was great. Loved the omelettes/waffles and other breakfast items. The pasta served there was great too during the lunch time and afternoon hours.

 

Great cruise/staff/ship.

[turtlegirl2]

Just checked my credit card statement (we left our itemized invoice in our room when checking out...) and I had a grand total of $91.60!!! That included tips on the drinks, sunscreen & aloe for the sunburn!!! Most amazing thing I've seen after a cruise LOL!!! :D

[tinadago]

Just checked my credit card statement (we left our itemized invoice in our room when checking out...) and I had a grand total of $91.60!!! That included tips on the drinks, sunscreen & aloe for the sunburn!!! Most amazing thing I've seen after a cruise LOL!!! :D

 

My combined will with my daughters was $175. That was with the $15 sunscreen purchase, deal or no deal cards and I think we bought the instant pull tab cards, coffee bar and sushi bar too. Also the $103 for gratuities. She had a $50 credit for her time on stage for the deal or no deal.....Still a cheap bill for two people! We loved not having to wonder what the bar tab would be! The UBP promo was sooo worth it!

[AlanFromEngland]

Was Great to meet you girls, had a great time in the piano bar with Barry, yourselves and all the other patrons , although I believe on the 2nd night it may have been closer to 3am than 2 from what I remember, which led to missing my excursion on GSC, and a small chain of events that led me to meet the lovely Wendy. Will have very fond memories of us all hanging out Longboards on the last night (Pics on FB soon!). This wasn't my first cruise, but was the first by myself, which was a little daunting at first but quickly made friends and had a really great time. Would certainly sail with Norwegian again and would even do the same cruise I had such a good time.

One again thanks for the great memories, and thanks to Wendy who pointed out the mention in your review. (btw, we got on so well, just booked her a flight over to the UK in 5 weeks time :-) ), take care girls, was a real pleasure.

[Rochesterboatingdotcom]

Great review! We have been on the Sky three times now and would go back in a heartbeat. One of our favorite NCL ships. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[Kingmaker_inc]

Great review! Thanks!

[dolita22]

Sounds like a perfect sisters vacation! Would love to do that with my sister some day down the road. Glad you had fun! Makes me want to sail the Sky again!

[MisterFidgetpants]

Another good Sky review, getting me excited for our trip :)

 

Do you happen to have the daily sheet from Freeport day? Just wanting to see what is open and going on on the ship morning and early afternoon.

[turtlegirl2]

Oh how cool you and Wendy saw this!!! We had so much fun and enjoyed meeting you both!!! Yes, our first night at the Piano Bar was way too much fun LOL!!! I wondered if you would be able to snorkel!! I'm just glad I had no plans for scuba diving - never would have happened!!! You have a great personality and you made cruising solo look like fun! I'm glad you took the leap and did it - especially since it sounds you might have met the right girl!! That is so great!! If wedding bells are in your future - maybe it should be on NCL and sis and I can attend :). I'll be in London next month - probably won't see you but I may message you with some questions!! Stay well and keep in touch!! We have enjoyed seeing your pics on FB!! Cheers!!!

 

Was Great to meet you girls, had a great time in the piano bar with Barry, yourselves and all the other patrons , although I believe on the 2nd night it may have been closer to 3am than 2 from what I remember, which led to missing my excursion on GSC, and a small chain of events that led me to meet the lovely Wendy. Will have very fond memories of us all hanging out Longboards on the last night (Pics on FB soon!). This wasn't my first cruise, but was the first by myself, which was a little daunting at first but quickly made friends and had a really great time. Would certainly sail with Norwegian again and would even do the same cruise I had such a good time.

One again thanks for the great memories, and thanks to Wendy who pointed out the mention in your review. (btw, we got on so well, just booked her a flight over to the UK in 5 weeks time :-) ), take care girls, was a real pleasure.

[MandyMommyof2]

Thanks for the great review!! :) My husband, along with our best friends are booked on the Sky in November. We are very excited!! This will be their first cruise and from what I have found about from the Sky, will be the perfect ship for them ;)

[turtlegirl2]

So that $91.60 included those too! Amazing! We also spent $40 each on the slot tournament. We had a credit of about $54 each since we cancelled the Nassau excursion - so I guess all that helped the final bill be so incredible!! We will be back in 2016 when UBP is automatic!! ;)

 

My combined will with my daughters was $175. That was with the $15 sunscreen purchase, deal or no deal cards and I think we bought the instant pull tab cards, coffee bar and sushi bar too. Also the $103 for gratuities. She had a $50 credit for her time on stage for the deal or no deal.....Still a cheap bill for two people! We loved not having to wonder what the bar tab would be! The UBP promo was sooo worth it!

[turtlegirl2]

Im not sure if I have the tear off page or not - my sister might have it. It rained all day so we decided to stay on the ship - but we were going to go to the Grand Lucayan resort (on our own via taxi and pay the day pass fee - lots of info on that on this site) if it was nice. That day, there was, of course, lots of dining options, the pool deck and hot tubs were open, the fitness area always had stuff going on (we joked each night that we would do all the exercise classes in the morning - didn't happen) :D; and of course all the bars were open. Music on pool deck also.

 

There were two movie channels on the TV's and they sometimes showed a movie in the Stardust Lounge. We watched 2 different movies over the course of the cruise. Nice break from the heat in the afternoon.

 

A few years ago, I went to Junkanoo Beach Club with my family while we were in Freeport and that was a nice beach day too. We did it on our own with no problems.

 

Enjoy your getaway!!

 

Another good Sky review, getting me excited for our trip :)

 

Do you happen to have the daily sheet from Freeport day? Just wanting to see what is open and going on on the ship morning and early afternoon.